Music

Viet Cong have finally issued a statement about their controversial band name

by Mark Teo

Calgary-based post-punk band Viet Cong’s year has been full of peaks and valleys: In January, they released their eponymous debut LP, and it’s undoubtedly one of the finest releases of 2015. By February, they were selling out venues across Canada—this, without much of a social-media presence. Their ascent has been nothing short of impressive.

But in the last few weeks, the band hit a snag: The world began cluing in on their troublesome name, which name-dropped the anti-American militia of the Vietnam War. While touring the U.S., they’ve had shows cancelled due to the hurtful nature of their band name, and worse still, the band handled it horribly: In interviews, they confirmed that the name originated from a racist joke. They revealed that members of the Vietnamese community contacted them about the callousness of their moniker—and still, the band did nothing. “We get hate mail at every single fucking show,” bassist Matt Flegel told The Guardian. “It’s turned into a thing. I never thought we’d have to explain ourselves to so many people.”

Even Gang of Four—another post-punk band whose name referenced a counter-revolutionary faction of the Chinese Revolutionary Party—chimed in with their thoughts. “We can all think of dozens of bands with really quite offensive names and as soon as you get into being the guardian of public morality, taking it upon yourself to decide what’s ok and what is not,” said Gang of Four’s Andy Gill. “You are acting in an illiberal, undemocratic and anti-progressive way.”

Still, Viet Cong, despite being knee-deep in a conversation about appropriation and free speech, remained curiously silent. But yesterday, they finally issued a statement detailing their thought process. Predictably, they pleaded ignorance.

Our band, Viet Cong, has existed for a little over three years now. When we named ourselves, we were naive about the history of a war in a country we knew very little about. We now better understand the weight behind the words Viet Cong. While we don’t take any concerns about the name lightly, we feel it is important to let you know that we never meant to trivialize the atrocities or violence that occurred on both sides of the Vietnam War. We never intended for our name to be provocative or hurtful.

We truly appreciate the seriousness of the feedback we’ve received, and we will continue to be open to listening to issues and concerns from all perspectives.

With love from the band Viet Cong.

It’s not quite the apology—or the retraction—that many wanted. But on the other hand, it’s an acknowledgement that they’ve heard the criticisms loud and clear, and that’s a positive; it’s certainly excellent they’re “open” to listening.

The next question, then, is how much do, or should, Viet Cong listen to their fans? Many have plainly stated that their band name is hurtful—which, according to the band, was never their intention—so why aren’t they changing their name? If they were ignorant to the impact of their name, and now understand its significance, why not rectify the problem? If the band doesn’t react accordingly, will they risk losing public support—despite having a wonderful album? Additionally, does the band care?

Let’s be clear, here: This statement is a step in the right direction, but Viet Cong may need to take a more aggressive step still.